Vehicle-tire.



E. W. & P. J. EVANS.

VEHICLE TIRE.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 23, 190s.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

iinrrnn sTArns PATENT onnion.

EDWARD W. EVANS AND BERCY J. EVANS, 0F WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

VEHICLE-TIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

Application led May 23, 1908. Serial No. 434,549. p

To altsfwhom 'it 'may concern:

Beit known that we, EDWARD W. EVANS and Pliner J. EVANS, oit' Vlaltham, in the county ot Middlesex and State of Massachu settsfhave invented certain new and use'tul Improvements in Vehicle-Tires, of which the followingis a specitication.

This invention has relation to vehicle tires such as those used for motor vehicles, and

has for its object. to provide a resilient tire' composed of a series of removable pneumatic cells, which, when punctured or otherwise damaged, may be separately removed and replaced by new cells. l

In carrying out the invention, the tire 1s composed ot an outer.. covering or shoe adapted to.y inc-lose an inner pneumatic tube and a series ci separate pneumatic cells 1nterposed between the pneumatic tube and the tread ot t-he shoe and adapted to be compressed therebetween when the inner tube is inflated. In efl'ect, the greater' part of the area-inclosed withinthe outer covering 1s air chambers, and,`wl1ile not proot1 against puncture, is adapted by reason of therernovabilityot the separate cells to be easily and .quickly repaired by substituting a new cell when one becomes damaged. By so constructing the tire, liability of complete use lessness is avoided in case of puncture, and at the same time a relatively great propor tion oi the advantages ot' a sin'lple pneumatic tire are retained.

Referring to the drawings, Jforming a part otl this speciticatioi1,-Figure l represents a motor vehicle wheel in elevation, provided with a tire constructed in accordance with this inventiomand partially broken away at `dilierent points. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. V1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 83 of Fig. 1 taken between two of the removable cells. Fig. #i is a section on the line 4-4 ot' Fig. 1, through one' of the removable cells and shows the tire in its inflated condition. Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 4, except that it illustrates the same in deflated condition.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts wherever they occur.

10 represents the woodenV felly of the wheel, which is surrounded by a metal rim 11 'of the so-called clencher type. The edges of the rim 11, which are curled over, are adapted to engage and retain ribs 12I 12 of a removable outer covering or shoe 13.

VThe shoe4 is adapted to contain an elastic pneumatic inner tube 14 and a series of separate elastic cells or balls 15, arranged ina concentric series between the rim of the shoe and the pneumatic tube 14. The pneumatic tube is provided with a suitable valve contained in a valve stem 16, and, when inated, is adapted to compress the balls or cells 15 between it and the rim of the shoe 13, as shown by Fig. 4. In this way, a greater part -of the cross-sectional area ci' the tire is filled with compressed lair which is the most resilient form of tire known.

In order to maintain the cells or balls in their proper relative positions, there may be a container provided with pockets 17, one for each of the balls or cells. The container is shown as formed integrally with the pneumatic. tube 14, and it has ay rim 18 which intervenes between the slice 13 andthe balls, and it also has walls or partitions 19 extending transversely so as to separate the balls from each other and hold them properly spaced. l By reason of providing a container of this character, the balls are protected against undue chating when they become alternately compressed and expanded.

In order to facilitate the insertion and removal of the balls, the pockets 17 have'side openings 20, one at either side of the tire,

` the clencherriml and the damaged cell removed laterally by pushing it through one ot' the apertures 20, and a new cell can be readily inserted in the same way. Before inserting a new cell, however, it is preferable to deflate the tube 111 in order that the pocket 17 may resume its normal shape, in which the cell in its normal shape may be more readily inserted. When the tube 14 is deflated, there is sutlicient looseness within the shoe 13 to permit a damaged cell to be removed and a new one inserted through one of the side ppenings 20, without removing the entire shoe. This may bt; effected by' simplyv removing the usual ring which holds one of 'the' ribs 12 of the shoe, then locally displacing a portion of the shoe to expose sov the pocket containing the damaged cell.

Therefore, it is not necessary to remove the whole tire in order to effect a local repair by the substitution of a new cell for a damaged one. vIt may be seen by reference to Figs. 2

and 4; that, when the cells are compressed out of their normal shape by inflation ofthe tube 14,- they are in elfect locked Within their respective pockets.

' The pneumatic tube 14 and the ball container, herein shown as formed integrally and hereinafter termed an inner member,

are adapted to retain the removable cells under all conditions, so that, in case the so* called inner member is` for any reason entirely detached, the cells will not drop out of their respective pockets.

Owing to the fact that both sidesof the.

pockets are open, removal of any of the balls or cells is facilitated, especially if the outer covering is entirely removed, because then,

- either one or more of the balls or cells may be pushed out, which operation could not be performed when there 'is but a single pergipheralnopening at the vtread surface.

Another 'advantage 'of the present structure is best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4;, in which it will be seen that the thickness of the material which separates the pneumatic tube from the cells is thin and substantially vuniform, whereby the shapes of the tube and cells will conform to each other under pres- -KS/ure.- In other words, when the neumatic tube is inate'd, the entire area o its outer l ture is illustrated wall is forced against the individual `balls or cells, so that there becomes an equality of pressure, the pressure against the balls orl cells being spread over the entire bases thereof.

'Another advantag of the present struc- Figs. 4- and 5, from which it will be seenA that a relatively thin portion of the containeris interposed between each 'ball or cell and the outer lcovering, this thin portion being furnished by the rim 18 so that the balls or cells cannot drop I out of the container when the outer covering is removed.

Although the removable members 15 are herein illustrated as closed hollow cells, the invention is not limited to members of this character, for in their place other compressible units might be employed.

Having thus explained the nature of our said invention and described a Way of constructing and using the same, although Without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the modes elastic circular inner member formed with a pneumatic chamber and also with pockets arranged in a series between said chamber andthe outside rim, said pockets having side openings,"an elastic ball in each pocket, and an outer covering inclosing the inner member and balls. I

3. A vehicle tire, comprising a circular elastic inner member having an outer rim and having pockets provided with side openings, an elastic cell in each pocket, a concentric pneumatic tube surrounded by the series of pockets and adapted when iniated to compress the cells against the outer rim, the thickness of the material separating the tube from the cells being thin and substantially uniform, whereby the shapes of the tube and cells will conform to each other under pressure, and an outer covering inclosing the inner member and balls.

In testimony whereof we have aiiixedour signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD W. EVANS. PERCY J. EVANS.`

Witnesses:

GEORGE F. Romains, JOHN H. Yno. 

